The Weekly Digest (December 10, 2023)

Happy Hanukkah, Brionies!

Here’s what you need to know about San Francisco politics this week and beyond:

City Hall

• Tuesday, December 12 at 2pm: Regular Meeting of the Board of Supervisors (agenda and call-in instructions here)

• Item 1 – Formal policy discussion with the Mayor regarding public safety in District 1 commercial corridors. 

• Item 7 – Ordinance to approve surveillance technology for fine arts museums in San Francisco.

• Item 9 – Ordinance to approve Police Department use of automatic license plate readers.

• Wednesday, December 13 at 10am: Meeting of the Budget and Finance Committee (agenda and call-in instructions here)

• Items 7 - 16 – Resolutions authorizing ten separate $20 million contracts for technology goods and services.

Happenings around town

• SFPD Northern Station Community Meeting

• Tuesday, December 12 at 5pm, 1125 Fillmore Street

• Commonwealth Club: The Espionage Act and the Rise of America’s Secrecy Regime

• Thursday, December 14 at 3pm, online 

• Marin GOP Hosts an Evening with Israel’s Deputy Consul Genderal to the Pacific Northwest 

• Monday, December 18 at 6pm, location provided upon RSVP

What we’re reading

• Adventures in education, Bay Area style: This week, Oakland educators gave pro-Palistinian lessons as part of unauthorized teach-ins. Progressives claim teachers aren’t indoctrinating children, but also insist “I is for Intifada.” Not to be upstaged, San Francisco activist groups likely violated SFUSD policy by organizing student walk-outs. Lest you think this activism is a harmless diversion, Laurance Lem Lee reminds us of the very real challenges facing SFUSD: ​​”Teachers are still getting new problems with their paychecks, even after tens of millions spent on new consultants. Teacher hiring has failed to keep pace such that some schools don’t even have math teachers. Chronic absenteeism is still way too high. The district budget is still tens of millions out of whack between what the state would like it to do to reduce its structural deficit and how the money is being spent. More and more families are making the tough decision to look into independent schools as the alternative.” 

• Speaking of symbolic distractions, this week San Francisco supervisors weighed in on a Gaza cease-fire measure. Can someone please remind the Supes that their job description does not include foreign policy? 

• San Francisco stores are walking away from self-checkout because the City can’t address its theft problem. 

• Mayor Breed nixes plan for Office of Reparations in light of looming budget deficit. 

• San Francisco judges and challengers face off in debate.

• Crime is hitting Democrats hardest, even as they deny responsibility: "I didn't vote for this!"

• Scaling back: Breed orders deep midyear budget cuts.

• A Hillary Ronen protege was sentenced to thirty-three years in prison for two murders. 

• The “car free” movement grapples with whether its plans killed Market Street.